The Night of the Generals Page #2

as many as needed.

What are you scared of,

children?

I think they're hungry.

What food do we have?

Some sandwiches, sir.

Bring them to me.

Yes, sir.

Yes, you're quite right,

they do look hungry.

Poor little devils.

Your lunch, sir.

Open.

Yes, sir.

Filth.

Your hands.

Look at those nails.

Not even Polish children

should be given such muck.

Make a note.

Food and sweets to be carried

at all times for the children.

It does no harm

to win their confidence.

As for him,

he's relieved as my orderly.

Home leave cancelled.

Filthy pig. Last week

he offered me an unwashed glass.

Now he enters my sight looking

as though he just exhumed

his grandmother with his bare hands.

Absolute cleanliness,

that's what I demand

from the people around me.

Do I make myself clear?

Yes, sir.

As for our immediate requirements,

see they're fully met.

Once they are,

I shall seal off the district

and put the inhabitants

through a sieve.

All 80,000?

General Tanz,

forgive me,

but just as a matter

of curiosity,

what do you feel is the exact

purpose of this exercise?

You've read the memorandum.

Oh, yes. Yes, I have...

And what does

the memorandum say?

That phase one is intended

to intimidate the population

to search houses,

to find and arrest resistance.

Then that is the exact purpose

of the exercise.

An excellent plan, by the way.

Much like my own

when I first came here,

only I was never given

the ultimate authority

to implement it.

But am I to understand that if there

is resistance during phase one,

you would then go to phase two

and even to phase three,

which would mean

the destruction of the entire city?

You are to understand

exactly that.

Well, uh, isn't that

somewhat excessive?

Excessive.

You will be aware that we are

30 miles from Moscow.

We are moving ahead

on a 5000 mile front.

Every available soldier

is needed if we are to

conquer Russia.

Yet here in Warsaw,

three divisions are rotting,

because of a few thousand criminal

Poles and Jews hiding in slums.

It is excessive to permit

this state of affairs.

Who is it?

You have my full list of requirements.

Eleanore, come in. Come in, my dear.

I hope I'm not disturbing.

My wife arrived early

this morning from Berlin.

How was Berlin?

Eager to hear the good news

that always follows in the wake

of a good soldier.

When I heard you were

with my husband,

I came straight here.

I wanted to tell you myself

what an inspiration

you've been to us all at home.

I am flattered, ma'am.

Oh, no, I'm not flattering you.

I'm honoring you

as you deserve.

If you're not too busy,

I shall need your help

with the arrangements

for the soiree tonight.

In your honor, General Tanz.

I'll look forward to it, ma'am.

Oh, incidentally, our daughter,

Ulrike, is here in Warsaw.

She'll be at the soiree too.

Yes?

Well, you remember her,

don't you?

In Berlin, at the garden party

at General Jodi's house.

Oh, yes, I do remember her.

My compliments, ma'am.

Sorry. I suppose

that was obvious.

But you know how mothers are.

Anxious to become

mothers-in-law, I should think.

A splendid officer,

no doubt of that.

A mother would be proud

to see her daughter...

Married to a war memorial?

Excuse me, ma'am.

I shall continue to study

General Tanz's plan.

With sinking heart.

I detest that man.

What does he mean,

"with sinking heart"?

Oh, the black book.

What were you saying, my dear?

I don't dare say anything

when you've got your book out.

One must protect

one's reputation.

Another mess like the one

you've made here in Warsaw

and you won't have

a reputation to protect.

10:
42.

What's the date?

The 13th.

Fortunately, I still

have some influence

at Supreme Headquarters.

Indeed you have,

for which I am grateful.

How nice that you are here at last.

I want to talk to you about Ulrike.

And I want to talk to you

about the soiree tonight.

I think you should know

that this morning Ulrike

was extremely rude to me.

Considering where you are

sending her, I'm not surprised.

Excuse me, general, but there

is a Major Grau from Intelligence.

He would like to see you.

What does he want?

He said it was personal.

He's most persistent.

Tell him, some other time.

Yes, sir.

By the way, what did you do

to your uniform last night?

Do? To my uniform?

Yes, there was a stain

on the jacket. A red stain.

But since you obviously

didn't cut yourself shaving,

it could only have been lipstick.

Shall I match the color

with the seductive shade

Fraulein Neumaier wears?

Don't be absurd.

Anyway, the evidence is destroyed.

I've sent everything to be cleaned.

Aren't you glad that I am

here now to look after you?

Of course I am,

dear Eleanore.

We are well-suited, aren't we?

I wish you'd remember to knock.

Sorry, sir.

Major Grau of Intelligence

just rang from downstairs, sir.

He asked to see you.

What about?

He wouldn't say, sir.

Tell him I'm busy.

I already told him, sir.

I took the liberty.

Good.

Well?

Apparently, he rang

the motor pool this morning.

Wanted to see the log

for last night to see if

anyone had used the car.

I told the officer in charge

that no information

could be released

without clearing it first with us.

Good. Yes, that's very good.

Thank you, sergeant.

Yes?

Sir, um, about my cousin Hartmann.

Your cousin Hartmann?

Yes, sir.

You have his record, sir.

On your desk, sir.

Oh, yes.

He's just out of hospital, sir.

He was wounded at Voronezh.

He's on temporary duty in Warsaw.

I had hoped that we could make

his duty with us permanent.

And by some extraordinary

coincidence,

he's waiting in your office

to see me.

Yes, sir.

Show him in.

Thank you, sir.

Come in.

Hartmann, Kurt, lance corporal.

Reporting as ordered, sir.

At ease.

Well, it's a distinguished record,

corporal.

I see from your

press clippings,

Otto is obviously keeping

a scrapbook for you.

I see that you are

"the reincarnation of Siegfried,

a German hero

from the golden age."

Do you feel like Siegfried?

Well, I'm not at all certain, sir,

how Siegfried felt.

Well, that's a sensible answer.

I see they've given you

the Iron Cross.

He killed 40 Russians

single-handed, sir.

Splendid.

Well, now, as to your future,

I imagine that, as a university man,

you'd want to become an officer.

Therefore, I shall be happy

to send you to...

Erm...

You don't want to go

to officers school?

I should prefer to remain

a corporal, sir.

Actually, general,

he doesn't mean that.

What he means is...

What do you mean?

I mean, I don't want

to become an officer. That's all, sir.

I'm shattered.

My world is toppling.

What is the point of being

a general when corporals

prefer to be corporals?

He's still a bit shaky,

after the hospital.

Yes, apparently.

Now, your cousin suggested

that you join us here at headquarters,

but I should think you'd be anxious

to get back to the fighting.

No?

No, sir.

General, what he really means is...

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